Dmytro Kuleba, the deputy prime minister for European and Euro-Atlantic integration -- whose visit to Washington coincided with the House Judiciary Committee's markup and vote on articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump -- downplayed the impact that those developments could have on U.S.-Ukraine relations. Instead he highlighted the importance of the alliance.
"All we are asking from our colleagues in the U.S. administration is fair treatment," Kuleba said. "We don't want to be shamed and blamed. We just need a fair, balanced look on what Ukraine has accomplished, where Ukraine stands and where Ukraine is moving," according to CNN.
Kuleba, the first Zelensky official to visit the U.S. capital, said he had met with House and Senate lawmakers and members of the National Security Council and the State Department, describing his meetings as "very friendly."
The deputy prime minister expressed his appreciation for the long-standing support of the United States, particularly amid the conflict with Russia. He stressed that the U.S. and Ukraine are "natural allies."
"We never compromised the United States since our independence in 1991," he said, "and we cannot imagine the horror where the United States will compromise us."
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On Friday, Kuleba emphasized that the Zelensky government was "absolutely serious" about fighting corruption and instituting reforms.
Kuleba said that they "are working on organizing a full-fledged visit of President Zelensky to the United States."
"The invitation was extended by President Trump to President Zelensky in the immediate aftermath of the elections," he said.
However, when asked if they had nailed down a date for the visit, Kuleba said they had not.
"No, we are talking." he said. "The invitation is there and everything else has to be agreed through diplomatic channels," he said.
